Almond Joy Balls

From Paula Deen via my mother-in-law to me and now to you. These were the jewels in the holiday goodie plate crown. A delectable combination of sugar, butter, coconut and chocolate. I'm posting the recipe in its original form but here's what I did differently: 1) ran out of almond extract and subbed amaretto flavoring instead, mmmm, good. 2) used slightly less powdered sugar as per my mother-in-law's recommendation. 3) tried rolling into balls and that was a mess. maybe I should have sprayed PAM on my hands?? I was in a huge time crunch so I used my cookie scoop instead. 4) I didn't dip them in chocolate because they weren't in true balls, more of a semi-ball, if you will. So I melted the chocolate and drizzled on top. Guess what? They still tasted amazing! And I quite liked the drizzled chocolate presentation. I'd love to hear how these turn out for you and if you decide to dip or drizzle. enjoy!

Almond Joy Balls

Ingredients

• 2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 (14-ounce) package shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
• 1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl; add milk. Stir in almond extract, coconut, and nuts; mix well. Form candy into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With a toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.

Peppermint Bark

I've been making this delightful Christmasy treat since December 2005 when it first appeared in Everyday Food. I love it. My kids love it. I love putting it on our goodie plates. I love putting some in a little airtight container and mailing it friends. Its easy, oh so very easy. Which is all the better, because lets face it, who has time to make labor intense treats this time of year? Exactly. Enjoy this crunchy treat!

Makes 36 pieces

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not use chips)
• 2 cups puffed rice cereal
• 1 bag (7.5 ounces) hard peppermint candies, unwrapped

Directions

1. Spray a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with a piece of waxed paper. Crush candies (see note below).
2. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rice cereal.
3. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; with a spatula, spread to edges of pan.
4. Sprinkle with crushed candy; with a piece of waxed paper covering the entire surface, press in gently (paper prevents hands from sticking to candy and chocolate). Chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, as candy will begin to soften).
5. Peel waxed paper off. Break bark into 2-inch pieces. Store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies

These are the most Christmasy blondies you will ever meet. And you'll be so glad that you did, in fact, have the opportunity to meet. Because they will change your Christmas. Last year, I made 6 pans in a 2 week period. No joke. They are now a permanent staple on my neighborhood goodie plate. And they've made appearances at a church function, school party and potluck, and each time, I've been begged for the recipe. Again, no joke. Thanks to the genius Mel for sharing this lovely holiday concoction.

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 ¾ cups white chocolate chips (I used a whole bag)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside (I lined my pan with aluminum foil and then sprayed the aluminum foil with cooking spray).

Whisk together flour, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until creamy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and mix on medium speed until combined.

Add flour mixture on low speed until combined. Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until golden around edges and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan; cut into 24 squares. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.

*makes about 24 blondies, depending on big you cut them. They do sink a little after they've cooled, TOTALLY NORMAL. As per Mel's suggestion, cut off the jaggedy edges that are higher than the center, save those for your kids and husband, and then cut the rest into uniform squares to serve. voila!

Dixie Salad

My daughter recently has expressed her undying love for all things pomegranates. Since I am happy when they are happy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, I had to make this salad. And it has homemade whipped cream in it. Which makes me very happy. So really, its a win/win for everyone. Thanks to my lovely Mary Ann for sharing this with me!

The sauce: (yes, this is a salad but it starts with a sauce, just trust me!)

In a small bowl combine;

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Pour this mixture into a medium saucepan and add:

20 oz can crushed pineapple, DO NOT DRAIN

1/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Let cool completely!

In a large bowl combine:

2 apples, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2-3 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2- 2 cup pomegranates
1 cup whipping cream (whipped) with 1/4 cup powdered sugar & 1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 cup mini marshmellows

Add the cooled pineapple mixture to the bowl with chopped fruit. Fold everything together. Keep chilled in fridge until ready to serve. And like all things made with fresh fruit and whipped cream, its best to eat it all the day you serve it or else it gets mushy. Read: spoon heaping mounds onto your plate because you don't want leftovers and because its deliciouso!

Caramel-Pecan Apple Pie

Doesn't the title alone grab you? Doesn't need much by way of introduction I'll tell ya that much! This comes from my good friend Heidi Dahl who kindly shared some with me a few Thanksgivings ago when she learned I wasn't making any pie that day. (Our family actually celebrated Thanksgiving earlier in the month with family up in Idaho so don't think we're anti-turkey day!) Anyway, there's some caramel and some apples and then some pecans and more caramel. Happy Holidays to me!

Original recipe from Taste of Home Oct/Nov 2007, adapted slightly by Heidi

Ingredients:
7 cups sliced peeled tart apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature (I used Mrs. Richardsons)
1 unbaked pastry shell, 9 inches
3 tbsp butter, melted

Streusel topping:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla. Combine sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. Pour caramel topping over bottom of unbaked pastry shell; top with apple mixture. This will be a heaping mound of apple goodness, don't be alarmed! Drizzle with melted butter.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, pecans and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned. Immediately remove from oven and drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on wire rack. Serves 8.

*a note. I served this in the evening on Thanksgiving day so I made the pie early in the morning. It sat on my counter all day, don't refrigerate it. So its not a traditional "hot apple pie serve with ice cream" type deal.

Orange Chicken

Last week my daughter said something really hurtful. She told me that school lunch was better than sack lunch. Ouch. I asked why. She said that the orange chicken she had for lunch that day was way better than a ham and cheese sandwich. I totally agree that *really good* orange chicken is "way better" than a ham and cheese sandwich. But still . . . cafeteria food had my child singing praises? I had to do something and quick! Allrecipes.com to the rescue! Tons of rave reviews? check. Ingredients I already have? check. End result super yummy AND everyone agreed that it is way better than the stuff the school passes off as orange chicken? check. I am pretty much a cooking rock star now in the eyes of a 6 year old. Make this and be the hero of the day in your house too!

here's the link to the original recipe off Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 
  
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 
  
• Chicken:
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Add pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* my notes.
#1- Don't like the time consuming (and icky) task of cutting raw chicken into bite sized pieces? Me neither. Which is why I kindly asked the meat counter to do it when I purchased the chicken. Score for me.
#2- Lets talk spicy. If you want MUCHO spicy, add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes to the chicken marinade and add another 1 tsp to the orange sauce at the end (step 5 in the instructions.) If you want semi-spicy, just add anywhere from 1/4 - 1 tsp of the flakes just to the sauce. And if you want a very mild, sweet orangey chicken, omit the flakes all together. I like to add about 1/2 tsp flakes to the sauce at the end. My kids like it better that way.

Peanut Butter Bars

Who has too many recipes for treats? Who, I ask? No one, that's who. We always need another one and so here's one for today. It comes from my good friend Christy Miller. She's always cooking up something yummy! And I love how all the ingredients I already had in my pantry, nothing fancy to go buy. That means the time from getting the recipe to making the treat was dramatically reduced. Score.

Ingredients:
12 whole graham crackers, crushed
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 (12oz) chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

Directions:
Combine graham crackers, butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Pat firmly into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips until smooth when stirred. Frost the patted down mixture with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate for several hours. When chilled, cut into small squares, they are rich!!

Shrimp, Tomato, Basil Pasta

I have loved this recipe for several years. Its fresh, fresh, fresh! And have I mentioned my love affair with basil? If not, let me mention it now. I have a love affair with basil. My husband and kids, not so much. But really, that is A-Ok with me. Because more for me. How's that for sharing, loving and giving? Ha! And shrimp, shall we talk about shrimp? So very, very tasty. Now the tomatoes are going to feel left out so here's a little diddy about them: they are the perfect addition to this meal. Can you imagine this dish without tomatoes? Me neither. Without further ado, I give you dinner tonight!

this recipe comes from Everyday Foods magazine, June 2006

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 pound linguine
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
2. Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce, shrimp, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

Fruit salsa with Cinnamon/sugar chips

When an Allrecipes.com recipe has like a bazillion positive reviews, there might be some truth there my fellow chefs. As in, you should make that recipe ASAP its that good. Over 2500 reviewers can't be wrong! Here's the link. Plus, it has my name in the recipe title. It was fate I tell you! All the book club ladies enjoyed this immensely. I.will.make.this.again.soon.

ps- no changes, I didn't sub any different fruit, made it exactly as laid out here. I used the costco cook yourself tortillas, made the tortillas and then followed with the cooking spray, etc.

Ingredients:

2 kiwis, peeled and diced 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced 8 ounces raspberries 1 pound strawberries 2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas butter flavored cooking spray 2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Oreo No Bake Cheesecake

The song "Isn't she lovely?" is playing in my head while I look at this photo. It was a magnificent combination of chocolate and pudding and swirly oreo goodness. I really liked what Melanie at Mel's Kitchen Cafe had to say about breaking it down into simple steps. Totally true! It is not, I repeat, NOT overwhelming when you take it one piece at a time. Plan ahead. You can do this. Not only will your guests be wowed but your husband might mention something about you being the best wife ever in between mouthfuls. I'm just saying . . .

from here down is a direct copy/paste from Melanie's post.
See I'm giving credit where credit is due!

*Note: this recipe has several steps but the good news is that they can be done in stages. The crust can be made up to 2 days in advance, as well as the cheesecake filling. The entire cheesecake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

*Serves 12

Cookie Crust:
30 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
7 tablespoons butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
2 pounds (4 bars) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces

For the cookie crust, place the cookies and the butter in a food processor and process until finely ground (alternately, you could use an electric mixer to combine the butter and cookies). Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until the crust has hardened and is set, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

For the cheesecake filling, heat 3/4 cup of the whole milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the milk comes to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, flour and remaining 1/4 cup milk in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick and glossy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the white chocolate until it is completely melted.

Transfer the pudding to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate the pudding until it is cold and set, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

After the pudding has chilled, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and mix in the chilled pudding just until it is combined, about 30 seconds. Pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chilled crust. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cookies over the surface. Again, pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the crust and sprinkle the remaining cookies over the top. Top with the remaining filling and smooth the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Remove the sides of the pan, cut into slices and serve. The cheesecake can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s country June/July 2008

Strawberry Banana Cream Pie

I first saw this on A Hint of Honey blog which linked me to Joy the Baker. Oh Joy. Joy, joy, joy, you know your stuff sweetie! Here's a link to her site and here's a link to this recipe. This is fruit mixed with heaven. The crust is not like a pie crust, think more shortbread cookie. Oh yeah, its pretty amazing. This has officially become the pie of the summer for me. And don't be discouraged by all the steps. Break it down to the 3 main components and do those at your leisure throughout the day, combine them at the last minute to serve.
Its not overwhelming, I promise.

ps- used a springform pan and not a fluted tart pan, still tasted great!

Instructions straight from Joy:

for the filling:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced
10 fresh strawberries, sliced

for the topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the tart crust, if not using mini Dufour shells:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoons (9 tablespoons) unsalted cutter, cold or frozen, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk

to make the tart crust:
Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fit the the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds at a time. When the egg is in, process in longer pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers.
Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes on the baking sheet. Keep an eye on the crust. It will brown quickly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

to make the filling:
Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, warming the eggs so they don’t cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady steam.

Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don’t be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.

When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.
Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.
Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Smooth out a refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.

for the topping:
With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heave cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.

Serve pie immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

I had a bag of lemons in the bottom drawer of my fridge that I needed to do something with and then I remembered a tasty treat I had made a while ago. I just didn't realize how long it had been. This gems come from the June 2006 Everday Food magazine. Yep, 4 years ago. But that should tell you how terrific they are, they made a lasting impression!

ps- finally learned about the macro setting on my camera, makes all the difference

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 8 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 
  
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 2 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 teaspoons zest and about 3 tablespoons juice)

Directions

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.
2. In a food processor, blend graham crackers with sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until moistened.
3. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat in gently (wipe processor bowl clean, and reserve for making filling). Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.
4. Make the filling: Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice; blend until smooth.
5. Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken), 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Cool completely in pan. Cover very loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Use foil overhang to lift cheesecake out of pan. With metal spatula, lift cheesecake from foil; cut into 16 squares.

From Everyday Food, June 2006

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Something colorful? check. Something fruity? check. Something freshy fresh? check. Something sweet and zesty all at the same time? check and check. This salad looks and tastes like summer, I swear it. I mean, come on, its downright gorgeous. Kiwis are on sale at the grocery store, what are you waiting for? Enjoy! Thanks to Mel for sharing this with the world!

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional, but I loved them!)

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

This is ideally served quickly after mixing, as in, within an hour. Melanie mentioned that the strawberries tend to stain the other fruit in the salad after a while. No biggie for taste but it just doesn't look as pretty any more.

Berry Cobbler Pie Bars

Hello folks out in bloggerland! I've been missing in action, but don't you worry your pretty little heads. I've got some yummy stuff coming your way and we'll kick off the festivities with a super yummy berry treat. Doesn't the name alone tempt you? And really, who can resist a shortbread crust? Its basically impossible. These came from a lovely new blog I've discovered, meet the talented Joy here. And click here for the recipe link, her photos are way better than mine.

Crust and Topping

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

zest of two lemons

Berry Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat with fine results)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen mixed berries, defrosted and drained

You can also use 6 cups of fresh berries, or 1 (16-ounce) package frozen berries and 3 cups of fresh berries.

(I used frozen berries myself. I'm going to try fresh next time just to see any difference. A tip Joy mentions is to avoid strawberries, they hold too much water and therefore will make the bottom soggy)

To make the crust and topping-

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a half sheet baking pan (12×17-inch) with butter or cooking spray and set aside. If you use a 9×13-inch baking pan you’ll have thicker bars. Zest two lemons. Measure out the sugar onto a clean work surface. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with a bench scraper or the back of a spoon. Rubbing the zest into the sugar will release oils from the zest and create a lemon scented sugar.

(Anne's notes: used a 9x13, thought they were perfect and had good intentions of using lemons with my sugar until I realized I was all out. So going to try the lemon scented sugar next time!)

Combine lemon sugar, flour, salt and butter in an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Beat the ingredients on medium speed until the mixture looks dry and crumbly.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes until it is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

To make the filling-

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in the berries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust. You may have to distribute the berries evenly around.

Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool for 1 hour before slicing.

**If you’re using frozen berries, be sure to defrost and drain the excess liquid. Place the frozen berries on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. They’re defrosted and ready for bar baking!

Coconut Israeli Couscous

I can't believe I haven't shared this one already. Its another favorite from the cooking class I took last year. Its simple, fast and oh so delicious. The only catch is that it only works with Israeli couscous, not the regular variety. The Israeli version is slightly larger and what with the absorption, etc, regular couscous doesn't set up as well. Anyway, like you needed another excuse to shop at Trader Joe's, right? This is a tasty side dish, slightly on the sweet side.
It would pair really nicely with a spicy main dish.

Here it is, in the middle. Makes my mouth water a little remembering this meal.

1 (14 oz)can coconut milk (I use Trader Joe's light coconut milk)
1 cup chicken broth (don't use reduced sodium)
1 1/4 cups Israeli Couscous (I use the 8oz box from Trader Joe's)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp sliced green onions, cut on the bias

Bring broth and coconut milk to a boil. Add couscous. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes and then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and generously salt to your liking. Add cilantro and green onion, serve immediately!!

* really, serve immediately. Its not nearly as good room temperature.

Seven Wives Inn Granola

Here's the wet ingredients getting bubbly on the stovetop

The dry ingredients mixed together
The granola is baking and making my house smell wonderful


This granola recipe is off the hook. I eat it by the handful, sprinkled on top of oatmeal, stirred in with some yogurt and did I mention I like to eat it by the large handful? Staci introduced me to this delight-some treat and I love how easy it is to pull together, how healthy I feel eating it and mostly, how good it tastes. There is actually a bed and breakfast here in St.George called The Seven Wives Inn (dates back to Brigham Young/Mormon Polygamy times) and they are known for their fantastic breakfasts showcasing their homemade granola. Store it in a resealable container and you can munch happy for weeks.

Ingredients:
8 cups regular old fashioned oatmeal (not quick, instant or steel cut!)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
8 oz coconut (wide, unsweetened if available)
8 oz almonds (I like to use slivered)
8 oz cashews
3 oz sunflower seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add wet to dry, blending very well. Spread on 2 large cookie sheets (I used my sil-pat liners, you'll want to use something to line your sheets so the granola doesn't stick.) Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Let cool and store in an airtight container. I try not to break it into itty bitty pieces, I like bigger chunks I can grab while snacking. ;)

Tomato, cucumber and feta salad

Staci recommended this food blog a while ago and I'm finding that I am enjoying it immensely! Check out A Hint of Honey and see what you think for yourself. This salad, (my first of 2010 but who's counting?) is fresh, tasty and colorful, everything a salad should be. And a quick note, if you are fresh out of turbinado sugar (also called organic sugar, also goes by the brand name "sugar in the raw") feel free to use plain ol' white sugar like I did. It was still great!

INGREDIENTS
pint of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, feta, and oregano.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Drizzle dressing over salad (you might not need the full amount of the dressing- just use enough to coat). Toss salad to coat evenly with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4.

Cowboy Cookies

Another recipe I made for the soldiers with Operation Baking GALS. I wanted a cookie recipe that was hardy and used shortening, as opposed to butter, so it would have a bit longer shelf life. These came from Wendy Busenbark via the World Wide Word Cookbook. There is a little story printed next to the recipe in the book that tells how she teaches cooking classes at the junior high and how everyone, faculty and students alike, rave about these cookies.
They are rave worthy alright!

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening ( I use butter flavored crisco baking sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oats (I used old fashioned oats, but you could use quick, NEVER instant)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup chocolate chips (I am a milk chocolate chip fan)

Directions:
Cream the shortening, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, cream for 3-5 minutes. Trust me, its what makes the cookie. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Mix into batter. Stir in oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet or use your cookie scoop, placing about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Smoked Turkey, Brie and Apple Panini

When someone tells you about a sandwich that they think is THE BEST THEY'VE EVER EATEN, I have tendency to sit up and take notice. Melanie, at the lovely My Kitchen Cafe, uttered such a statement and I had to see what all the fuss was about. She did not lie. It was (in my best sing song-y broadway voice) Fab-u-lous!! Here we go with the photo spread:


here is the finished product. I never claim to be a photographer
(my better half on the blog certainly is but she wasn't working the camera,
it was technically challenged yours truly.
I have lightening issues, needless to say, please forgive me)
my beloved panini press. I also have an electric one, but the top half doesn't unhinge in the back so it has a great tendency to cook unevenly. Enter the stove top press. I heat up the top side with handle while the bottom side is also preheating and that way, I don't have to flip half way.
I know, I'm a genius.
I do what I can people, I do what I can.
The secret ingredient.
Let me rephrase, the not so secret now but still amazing ingredient
The assembly stage and just to clarify, I like a slightly thicker slice of apple. You could do them paper thin and that would also taste marvelous if you are thin apple slice fan.

Ingredients:
your favorite bread,(needs to be slightly on the crusty side, perhaps an artisan or sourdough)
shaved smoked turkey
4 oz brie cheese or one individually wrapped wedge of Laughing cow light swiss spreadable cheese
1 apple, cored and sliced (I used Granny smith for its tartness)



Directions:
Whether you use a skillet with a brick, a stove top panini press or an electric, make sure it is on and preheated before you slap your beautiful sandwich on there. It needs to be preheating while you build your creation.
Cut your bread into desired number of slices, and spread with cheese (see note) add turkey, finish off with apple slices.
Lightly butter or brush with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) your the top and bottom of your bread just like you do when you make a grilled cheese.
Make your panini, eat while piping hot, repeat with leftover bread until you can no longer button your pants. The end.

*a note about the cheese. I bought the brie cheese the first time I made this and it tasted great! However brie is probably made from solid gold as its price tag is a bit on the heavy side. Also, there are rind/wax issues. Should you eat it or not? I personally prefer not to, so I have to take the time to remove it. Some people out there (serious cheese officiandos) say that it is sacrilege to remove anything from the cheese and to experience it, you have to eat it all. Hmmm, whatever. Soooo, long story short, thanks to my friend Heather, I always have some Laughing cow spreadable swiss cheese in my fridge at all times. I still had turkey, apples and bread but had used all the brie the first time around. Lightbulb clicked on! Use the swiss!! Its spreadable and takes .03 seconds to open and schmear on my bread. And the taste! It was terrific too! Less work, less money and equally delish. I'm going with swiss from now on. :)

*another note, I just went back to Melanie's blog and she has updated this recipe post to now include grilled red onions on the sandwich. Yum, I'll have to try it that way next!

Sensational Peppermint Patty Brownies

here they are, all nicely packed in a ziploc container for a solider care package

this how the top of mine looked right when I pulled them out of the oven

Back to back brownie recipes because that's how I'm rolling in 2010. This one from my beloved Hershey's 100th Anniversary cookbook, page 100. And yes folks, they are sensational! I made them for a solider's care package. I will use this forum to put in a little plug for a great organization called Baking GALS (stands for Give A Little Support) because who doesn't love a box filled with homebaked goodness whilst serving your country on the otherside of the planet? No one, that's who. So I've made it my goal to join in the fun once a month, check out their website for all the details. Its been easy, fun and I can feel good about spending my afternoon knee deep in all things sugary. I will probably never meet the recipients of these brownies but I hope they could taste how much I appreciate their sacrifices.

Ingredients:
24 small (1 1/2 inch) peppermint patties
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl with spoon or whisk, stir together butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, stir until well blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, gradually add to butter mixture. Reserve 2 cups batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in a single layer over batter. Spread reserved batter over patties. Bake 50-55 minutes or until brownies began to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes about 3 dozen.

*a note. The batter is T-H-I-C-K that's why it takes almost an hour to bake! Start watching the last 10 minutes of baking to make sure your brownies are doing okay, some ovens cook hotter than others and you don't want hard, dry brownies.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

I was first introduced to these little bites of chocolate/mint perfection at a "Death by Chocolate" party my fellow Good Eats blogger Staci and I hosted a few years back. Debbie Gourely brought them to the party and in a room full of chocolate concoctions, these stood out and won a prize. In one word, mmmmmm. In a few words, mmmm, mmmm, MMMMMgood. I confess I don't make these as much as I should because my husband doesn't really like mint. I know, its a shame. He's a purist in that sense. Anyway, these require a bit of time so plan early in the day what with all the chilling in between layers. You won't be disappointed!

Brownie Base:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (16oz) chocolate flavored syrup
1 cup sugar

Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp mint extract (I used peppermint extract as opposed to spearmint extract, your choice!)
3 drops green food coloring

Topping:
1 package (10-12 oz) mint chocolate chips
9 tbsp butter (1 stick plus one tbsp) softened

Combine the ingredients for the brownie base in a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, top of brownies will still appear wet, this is all part of the plan. Cool completely!!

Combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until creamy. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until set.

For topping, melt the chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a small saucepan (or in a microwave, watching like a hawk to make sure chocolate doesn't seize.) Let cool for 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Spread over filling. Chill before cutting. The topping will have a nice, solid feel in contrast to the soft brownie and filling, its marvelous! Store in the refrigerator.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Melt

Otherwise known as an Egg McMuffin, this conjured up memories of my days slinging fries at the golden arches. While personally, I enjoy a sausage mcmuffin with egg, (otherwise known in Mickey Dee's lingo as a "smeg") I have never been one to turn down any thing that has the words ham, cheese or melt in it. This recipe comes from the Biggest Loser pocket cookbook that is included in the workout DVD. Why would I need a workout DVD, you ask? Something to do with chocolate toffee cookies and nacho cheese dip, that's all I'm saying. Back to the recipe . . . loved it! I made the hubby's sandwich with egg whites and mine I included the yolk because I don't have the same cholesterol issues he does. :) Tasty, tasty, can't wait to make them again!

1 Thomas' light whole grain english muffin, split and toasted
1 slice (1 ounce) lean, low-sodium ham or lean canadian bacon
2 egg whites
1 slice low- or reduced fat cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Using a well buttered (or well "I can't believe its not butter" sprayed) egg ring, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, pour egg whites into ring. Cover the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of the ring to break the egg loose, and remove the ring. Flip the egg over and cook it for about 30 seconds longer or until done. While egg is cooking, heat ham in the same skillet, its already cooked but you're just warming it up.

On one half of the warm toasted muffin, place the ham. Place the egg on top of the ham. While the egg is piping hot, lay cheese over it. Top with the remaining muffin half. Serve hot.

* Note, if you don't have an egg ring, you can use the ring from a widemouthed canning jar, sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

*more notes! I couldn't find the exact english muffins listed here, my store only carried the Thomas multi grain english muffins, I figured as long as it wasn't the white flour muffin, I'm being healthy, right? Also, didn't have the time to scout for a lean, low sodium ham so I grabbed the hillshire farm deli sliced ham and put one slice on my muffin. And I used kraft 2% american singles. At the top of the recipe in the book, its says to make 2 at a time and save one for breakfast the next day because they reheat well. I'm not too sure about that, but would be interested in hearing from someone who actually reheated one.

Sugar Dusted Pecan Squares

From the fun "Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book #7" come these brown sugar laden beauties! The only thing is to make sure you leave ample cooling time before you powder sugar coat them. I only left myself an hour before I had to run out the door with some treats and lets just say they weren't the prettiest squares you've ever seen. When I came home and cut myself a fresh one from the pan, it was MUCH easier to handle and so the lesson we've all learned is patience makes for better looking treats. ;)

2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups chopped pecans
4 eggs
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350
Line a 9x13 baking pan with tin foil, extending foil over ends of pan; grease foil.

Mix together brown sugar, flour, baking soda and pecans in a bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; stir in melted butter. Stir in brown sugar mixture and vanilla. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, will still look quite gooey but the middle should be more done. I went the full 25 minutes. Cool in pan COMPLETELY before lifting foil from pan. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

(notice my new silpat liners on the right? and also my new 3 tier cookie rack? Santa was good to me!)

Its the new year and what do I bring you? salad? something low fat/carb-free/zero calories? guess again. Its chocolatey, loaded with toffee and goes well with ice cold milk. You guessed it, the chocolate toffee cookie! They are rich, rich, rich and that is fine with me. Melanie has never led me astray yet, these are another My Kitchen Cafe hit! Make sure you use actual chopped chocolate and that you are not sneakily substituting chocolate chips. Chocolate chips, while lovely in many recipes, have wax around them to help them hold their shape and therefore, when using chocolate that is to be melted for cookies, use REAL chocolate and chop it up. And don't be grossed out because I just told you chocolate chips have wax, its a scant amount and you'll get over it. Meanwhile, start chopping!

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped (I like the Bakers brand)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar, (unless noted, always pack brown sugar when measuring)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (I used Skor bars), coarsely chopped

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in small bowl. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50% power for two minutes. Stir and continue microwaving in one minute (50% power) increments, stirring after each minute, until chocolate and butter are melted and combined. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture, then chopped toffee bars. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Let them cool on the PAN for at least 5 minutes before you move to the RACK. they are too soft to move any earlier. :)
(Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)