Monday, January 24, 2011

Caramel Bars

Base mixture Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups oats (oatmeal)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups melted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Chocolate layer:
10 oz mild chocolate chips

Caramel Layer:
1 jar Mrs. Richards Butterscotch caramel topping
6 tsp flour
1 1/2 cups base mixture

Make base mixture: Mix brown sugar to melted butter and stir well. Mix
together oats, flour, soda and salt. Add butter/sugar mixture to oats
mixture. Take 2/3 of the base mixture and press into non-greased 9X11
pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Take out of oven and sprinkle milk chocolate chips on top.

Combine 1 jar Mrs. Richards Butterscotch caramel topping with 6 tsp
flour and 1 1/2 cup of base mixture. Then spread on top of chocolate chips.

Crumble the remaining base mixture over top.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees, making sure not to overcook.

Cool completely.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Perfect Frosting (from www.ourbestbites.com)

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. (It will get really thick - goopy even!) Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Push it through a mesh strainer and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely.

It an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes.

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.


One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes . Use this to top your peppermint fudge cupcake jars.

Peppermint Ganache (from www.ourbestbites.com)

Recipe from Our Best Bites

top peppermint fudge cupcake jars with this ganache (and frosting):

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips are fine)
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat cream in microwave until bubbles form around the outside. Pour in bowl over chocolate chips and immediately cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes, add peppermint extract and then whisk until smooth. Let cool un-covered until thickened slightly, almost like a thin pudding.

To assemble, pour 1 1/2-2 Tbs ganache over the top of each cupcake jar. If desired, use a paring knife to first hollow out a well in the middle of the cake. Tilt jars to distribute ganache evenly over the top of the cake and then let cool for the ganache to set. If storing overnight, place lids and rings on jars and leave at room temperature.

Peppermint Fudge Cupcake Jars (from www.ourbestbites.com)


Recipe by Our Best Bites (Image above from their website as well)
Makes approximately 8 jars or 12 Cupcakes
(I cut the recipe in half to make only 4 jars - but used 2 eggs)

Cupcakes (cake base for this dessert adapted from Shelly Kaldunski)

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz chocolate, chopped. (or abt 1/2 C chips) Use bittersweet, dark, or semi-sweet.
1/2 C + 3 Tbs real butter, cut into pieces
3/4 C plus 2 Tbs sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

8 8oz wide mouth mason jars (the short squatty kind)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set mixture aside and let cool 10-15 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon (don't use an electric mixer) stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined. Stir in the eggs one and a time, beating with your spoon until combined after each addition, and then beat in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour mixture just until no traces of flour remain; do not overmix.

Place the mason jars on a cookie sheet. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 jars (no need for greasing the jars) or 12 cupcake liners if you're going that route. The jars should be about half full or a little less. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the jar comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached 22-25 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully (with a pot-holder!) transfer jars to a cooling rack. Let jars cool till at least close to room temperature before topping with ganache and frosting.

Catherines type of Chile

1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1 teaspoon Accent seasoning (or seasoned salt would work as well)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
2 - 14.5 cans petite diced canned tomatoes
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans water (use cans from diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 hershey bliss minature chocolates
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Cilantro Sprigs

Saute beef, onion, garlic, and green pepper and accent seasoning until beef is browned. Stir in chili powder, chili flakes, smoked paprkia and brown sugar. Cook over heat for one minute, stirring constantly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Simmer approximately 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir in chocolate squares until melted. Top with cheddar cheese and chopped cilantro. Serve with cornbread muffins.

WENDY'S CHILI

1 1/2 LB. GROUND BEEF-BROWNED
1- 10 OZ CAN FRENCH ONION SOUP
BLEND THE SOUP IN BLENDER, WHIP FOR 1 MINUTE. ADD TO THE MEAT, SIMMER FOR 5 MINUTES.

ADD:
1 TABLESPOON CHILI POWDER
2 TEASOONS PEPPER
2 TEASPONS CUMIN
1-20 OZ. CAN KIDNEY BEANS
1-6 OZ. CAN TOMATO PASTE
1-8 OZ. CAN TOMATO SAUCE

MIX TOGETHER, SIMMER FOR 20 MINUTES. SERVE WITH GRATED CHEESE AND CRACKERS.

THIS IS THE EASIEST CHILI EVER! NO CHOPPING OR SAUTEING. IT IS WONDERFUL! IT HAS A KICK TO IT, SO DECREASE THE PEPPER AND CHILI POWDER A SMALL AMOUNT IF YOU ARE FRAGILE!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Easy Minestrone Soup

1/2 lb sausage, sage flavored
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup macaroni
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Brown sausage in pan, remove to paper towel to drain off excess oil.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add in zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir in vegetable broth and water. Add beans, macaroni, oregano, and basil, along with sausage. Simmer until vegetables and macaroni are tender-about 35 minutes.

2. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve warm.


Julie's Cafe Rio Style Black Beans

First, soak your dried beans overnight.
Put them into a bowl and cover them with water, to a level that is probably about 2 inches above the beans.
The next day, begin by dicing an onion. You want to have about 1/2 cup of diced onions. So, if it is a larger onion, then you will only use half, smaller onion, the entire thing.
Put the diced onion into your crockpot.
Next mince 1-2 cloves of garlic.
Add one can of green chiles (mild)
drain the beans and add them to the crockpot.
next add water (depending on the amount of beans add the appropriate amount -
it's on the packaging).
add chicken bouillon to the water (I like to use the mexican chicken bouillon made by Knorr)
place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low until the beans are tender.
(usually this takes about 8 hours)