Fudge Nut Bars

A soft oatmeal cookie base and top with a layer of delicious fudge running through the middle.  This is my mother-in-law's recipe.  A favorite on our Christmas goodie plates. they are especially good the day they are made.

6 oz. chocolate chips

1 fourteen ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp butter

¼ tsp salt

½ cup chopped nuts

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. butter, softened

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 c. quick cooking rolled oats

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13" pan.

2.  In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 1 Tbsp. butter; heat and stir until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from the heat and add the nuts and vanilla.

3.  Cream together the 1 c. butter and brown sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and oats.  Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter mixture.

4.  Press slightly more than 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Spread the fudge filling over crust and drop the remaining dough evenly over the chocolate.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool completely then cut into squares.

Easy Homemade French Bread

My friend who is the queen of recipes gave me this one.  It makes two large loaves that are a little bit bigger, and 100% yummier, than those you could buy in the grocery store bakery department.  They turned out golden brown, crispy outside and super soft and excellent texture on the inside, even two days later.  Plus this is a very simple to make recipe.  We ate one half of a loaf for dinner as garlic bread, cubed up the other half and used it in bread pudding, and I've sliced the other and put it in the freezer to use in a french toast dish I'm signed up to make for a teacher's luncheon at my boys' school.  You could easily mix up the dough, bake one loaf and freeze the remaining dough (before the 30 minute rise) for later use as bread, breadsticks, pizza dough, cinnamon roll dough, hoagie rolls, etc.  Just take the dough out of the freezer, allow to come to room temperature and proceed at the 30 rise mark (approx. 3-5 hours total time).

1/2 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. (one 7g pkg.) dry yeast
2 c. very hot water
1/3 c. oil
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
6 c. flour

1.  Combine the warm water and the yeast.  Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the hot water, oil, sugar, salt and half of the flour.  Stir with a wooden spoon (I used my electric mixer instead).
3.  Add yeast mixture and stir.
4.  Add the remaining flour and stir.  Leave spoon in the dough.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Stir and let rest again.  Repeat the rest and stir process three more times (for a total of 5 times). 
5.  Divide dough in half.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Press out to a rectangle.  Roll up (like making cinnamon rolls) and place on a greased baking sheet (one 11X17" baking sheet works just fine) repeat with the other half. 
6.  Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.  With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slashes across each loaf.  Brush with egg white. 
7.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

You could place an oven safe dish of water on the lower rack of the oven while these are baking to give the crust some extra texture, it's not necessary, but dosen't hurt anything.

Fast Breadsticks

Taisey is my source for great recipes.  She sent me this recipe over a year ago and I just got around to trying it two nights ago.  They are delicious. My usual go-to for breadsticks is my Soft Italian Breadsticks recipe but in a pinch these worked perfectly.  These are delightfully crispy on the outside and soft in the center.  The 'easy' part is that they only rise once for 30 minutes.  Yummy breadsticks in about an hour?  Yes, please!

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1.  Mix all the ingredients except the melted butter, in a large bowl (or electric mixer).  Knead for 3 minutes.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 
2.  Heat oven to 375*.  Spread melted butter onto an 11X17 baking sheet. 
3.  Roll out the dough about 1/4 to 1/2 thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter.  Twist slightly, if desired and place breadsticks about 1/2 apart on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle with garlic salt, choice of herbs (either.rosemary, basil, and/or thyme, crushed finely) and grated Parmesan cheese.  Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes (I did this on a cooler day by preheating my oven to 200, turning it off and placing the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes, then pulled it out to finish rising then preheated my oven to 375*).
4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Yield: 20-25 breadsticks

Chicken and Rice Bowl with Teriyaki Sauce

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off, it is quite simple to prepare and is very yummy.

Enjoy!

Rice:
2 c. brown rice
3 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can black beans rinsed and drained

Teriyaki Sauce*:
2/3 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. water
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic
1 to 2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. garlic chili sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

Veggies:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/4" slices
1 1/2 c. broccoli florets

4 chicken breasts, grilled with salt and pepper to taste, then cubed

For Rice:
Bring water, coconut milk and sugar to a boil, add rice.  Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.  Stir in the beans; recover and continue to cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the teriyaki sauce.

For Sauce:
In  medium saucepan mix all the ingredients except for the cornstarch/water slurry.  Bring to a boil then add the cornstarch/water.  Continue to boil until thickened.  Remove from heat.

For Veggies:
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add veggies and saute just until crisp-tender.

To serve: layer rice, veggies and chicken in a bowl.  Drizzle with teriyaki sauce.

*You could use a store bought teriyaki sauce and add an additional 1 tsp. soy sauce, the chili sauce, 1 tsp. ginger and thicken with cornstarch/water slurry.   

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheesecake

My friends and I have a monthly recipe exchange night where everyone brings a written recipe and a sample of that recipe for everyone to try.  Really it's an excuse to eat and chat with my girls. 
The theme this month was guilty pleasures.  It truly was an enchanted evening (even if most of us nearly slipped into a sugar coma, we had paramedics on stand-by).
I love cheesecake with an un-natural passion. I love chocolate and peanut butter with an un-natural passion.
Chocolate cheesecake?  Yes, please
Peanut butter cookie dough?  Yes, please
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheesecake?  ....  I think I just cried a little from the joy in my heart.
The Cheesecake Factory used to have a cheesecake with this same name, and to my dismay they took it off their menu.  I have searched the Internet high and low to find a knock-off recipe for my well beloved, but have been unsuccessful in my hunt, so I took matters into my own hands.  Next time (and oh yes, there WILL be a next time) I might add dolops of peanut butter into the cheesecake as well as the cookie dough.  If you just want a chocolate cheesecake recipe (omit the cookie dough and proceed as written) this one would be a stunner on it's own, but adding the peanut butter cookie dough makes me sigh. 

1 1/2 c. crushed Oreos
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. flour
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream
8 oz. melted semi-sweet chocolate, slightly cooled
1/4 recipe Peanut Butter Cookie Dough -- uncooked.

1.  Lower one oven rack to lowest setting, place a 9X13 in baking pan filled half way with water.  Set one oven rack on middle setting in oven.  Preheat oven to 350 (if using a silver spring-from pan, 325 if using a dark, non-stick springform pan).  Lightly grease the bottom and side of 9" springform pan (I place a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of my springform pan on the bottom, then greased the sides, it makes me sad when part of the crust sticks to the pan and not to my lovely piece of cheesecake).  In mixing bowl, combine Oreos and butter.  Press onto the bottom of the pan and set aside.
2.  In large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; beat with electric mixer until light and creamy.  Add flour and beat until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and sour cream; mix well.  Add eggs, one and a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until combined. 
3.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Roll peanut butter cookie dough into 3/4" balls and drop at random intervals over batter; use the end of a wooden spoon to push cookie dough into the batter until it is completely submerged.
4.  Bake for 60-70 minutes, until center is almost set.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan; allow to cool completely before removing the edge of the pan.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. 

Will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated.

We found we liked it better when the cheesecake had been sitting at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

You never know what kind of gems you will find on the back of packages.  I found this recipe on the back of bag of dried pasta.  I added my own secret ingredient (I guess it's not super secret if I'm sharing it here).  I love queso cheese, especially the kind in the #10 can that you can buy at Costco.  I find it delicious.  I added it to this mac and cheese and it gave it just a slight hint of spice, and extra creaminess that was exactly what I like in macaroni and cheese.

8 oz. small elbow macaroni
3 Tbsp. margarine or butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. mined onion
3/4 c. queso nacho cheese dip
2 c. (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bread crumbs

1.  Cook elbows according to package directions; drain.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside. 
2.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour; cook for 3-4 minutes.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook stirring constantly over medium heat, until sauce thickens.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Add onion and both cheeses; stir until cheddar is melted.
3.  Stir cheese sauce into elbows.  Transfer to prepared baking dish.  Top with bread crumbs. 
4.  Bake 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Pancakes

One of my new goals for the school year is to have a real breakfast for my kids before they leave in the morning.  Cereal only occasionally.  I've had this recipe in my binder for years and have never tried it until this morning.  I don't know where I found it but it's title says it's the recipe for the pancakes at a restaurant chain who claim they have pancakes from around the world. 
For some reason the recipe as I have it in my binder does not include any liquid.  I added some milk just to get it to a batter consistency, I'm not sure how much it was.  Probably less than 1 cup, maybe 2/3 cup.  Also it might need a little salt, I'll add maybe 1/4 teaspoon next time. 
They were very good.  A little sweeter than store bought pancake mix recipes.  The texture was excellent.  I will use these as my go-to pancakes from now on.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/4 c. flour
1 egg
1/4 c. sugar
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. cooking oil

1.  Preheat skillet over medium heat.  Use a pan with nonstick surface or apply a little non stick cooking spray.
2.  In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3.  Pour the batter by spoonfuls onto the hot pan, forming 5" circles.
4.  When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes.  They should be light brown.
5.  Cook on the other side for same amount of time, until light brown.

Yield: 8-10 pancakes