Christmas Bark: White Chocolate Peppermint & Milk Chocolate- What's Baking?

  The December challenge for What's Baking? was to use Christmas colors in our baking.  A million ideas ran through my head of things I could make.  In the end I decided on two simple Christmas barks.  The first is a milk chocolate bark; the second is a white chocolate peppermint bark.  Both are very tasty and extremely easy to make.

  The milk chocolate bark has holiday Oreos, Andes Candies Baking chips, and red/green M & M's.  The white chocolate bark has peppermint extract in it, crushed candy canes, holiday Oreos, and Andes candies baking chips.  Personally I like the white chocolate peppermint bark better but my husband enjoyed the milk chocolate better. 

  The only real issue I encountered was that the Andes candies chips were a very dull green color and didn't show up very well.  I solved that by putting the chips into a baggie with three drops of food coloring.  I shook the bag for a minute and presto!  The candies were a bright, vibrant green.  They looked wonderful against the white chocolate background.  This is a very easy holiday treat that is sure to please any chocolate lover!

Milk Chocolate Christmas Bark

1 pound milk chocolate

1 c. chopped holiday Oreos

1 c. red and green M & M's, chopped in half

1/2 c. Andes candies baking chips

1.  Line a 9 x 13 cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Chop the Oreos and M & M's and set next to the prepared cookie sheet.

2.  In a microwave safe bowl heat the milk chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Immediately pour chocolate into the prepared pan using a spatula to smooth it evenly to the edges.

3.  Sprinkle the Andes candies, then the M & M's, and finally the Oreos over top over the chocolate.  Press down lightly to make sure the candies are sticking.  Allow to cool for an hour.

4.  Remove the bark on the parchment paper to a cutting board.  Cut or break into pieces.  Store in an air tight container for 1-2 weeks.

White Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Bark

1 pound white chocolate
1 t. peppermint extract
1 c. crushed candy canes
1 c. holiday Oreos, chopped
1/2 c. Andes candies baking chips

1. Line a 9 x 13 cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Chop the Oreos and set next to the prepared cookie sheet.


2. In a microwave safe bowl heat the white chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract then immediately pour chocolate into the prepared pan using a spatula to smooth it evenly to the edges.

3. Sprinkle the Andes candies, then the crushed candy cane, and finally the Oreos over top over the chocolate. Press down lightly to make sure the candies are sticking. Allow to cool for an hour.

4. Remove the bark on the parchment paper to a cutting board. Cut or break into pieces. Store in an air tight container for 1-2 weeks.

Note:  These Christmas barks make wonderful holiday gifts.  Pack 1/4 pound of the milk chocolate bark and 1/4 pound of the white chocolate peppermint bark in a 1/2 pound candy box and top with a Christmas bow.

This post linked to:

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays

Tuesdays at the Table

Real Food Wednesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

7-Layer Bars: Day 10 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

  I decided to end the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars with the sweetest, most decadent bar cookie I've ever eaten.  I get requests for this one several times a year and it is quite possibly one of the easiest bar cookies I made as well.

  It's a graham cracker crust topped with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, nuts, and the "magic" sweetened condensed milk.  A burst of sugary goodness in your mouth.  One of the biggest crowd pleasers I've made to date.

7 Layer Bars (adapted from Annie's Eats )

1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
12 sheets (4 crackers per sheet) of graham crackers
6 T. butter
1 c. chopped nuts (I like almonds, but most prefer walnuts)
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
1 (14 oz) can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with foil or spray with cooking spray. 

2.  In a smal skillet toast the coconut over medium heat until is is golden brown.  Remove from heat.

3.  Put the graham cracker sheets in a large zip top bag.  Use a rolling pin or a hammer and crush the graham crackers into crumbs. 

4.  Melt the butter in a saucepan or a microwaveable bowl.  Pour into the prepared pan and mix with graham cracker crumbs.  Push into the bottom of the pan forming a crust.  Sprinkle the crust with nuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and toasted coconut.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire pan.

5.  Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Remove the bars from the pan using the foil (or simply cut in the pan).  Cut into small bars.

This post linked to:

Not Baaad Sundays

Meatless Mondays

What's on Your Plate?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies-Day 9 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

  These cookie/brownies are amazing-the ultimate Christmas dessert.  They are the perfect combination of brownies with chocolate chip cookies in the middle of them topped with a chocolate ganache.  They are incredibly sweet so I could only eat one or two at a time, but they are so delicious.

  I took half of the batch to work and they were gone within a half hour.  I have several requests for the recipe as well.  The are rich and chocolatey.  Perfect for any chocolate lover.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies (concept adapted from Life and Kitchen  Brownie and cookie recipes adapted from Hershey’s )
For the Brownies:
½ c. butter, melted
¼ c. applesauce
1 ½ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2 egg whites
½ c. Hershey’s cocoa
¾ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt

For the Cookies:
¼ c. butter, softened
¼ c. applesauce
½ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
½ t. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. + 2 T. flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt

¾ c. chocolate chips

For the ganache:
1 c. Wilton chocolate melts
½ c. sweetened condensed milk


1. In a large bowl cream butter, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs until well combined.

2. In a medium bowl combine the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, stirring well.

3. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Spread the brownie mix into the pan. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl cream the butter, applesauce, sugars, and vanilla. Beat in the egg.

6. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Drop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough on top of the brownie mixtures. Push the cookie dough down into the brownie batter.

8. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the brownies clean.

9. In a saucepan melt the chocolate melts and condensed milk over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour over the brownies and spread. Cool completely before slicing.

This post linked to:

Cooking Thursday

Recipe Swap Thursday

Friday Potluck

What's cookin' in the Kitchen

Monster Cookies-Day 8 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 8 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars is a twist on the Monster Cookie.  It has most of the traditional flavors, and the orignal texture, but this monster cookie is made without the peanut butter.

I love the concept of the monster cookie. A little of this, a little of that, all rolled up and baked in the oven. The only problem is the peanut butter that is a very important ingredient. As many readers know, I despise peanut butter. I won’t eat it plain, I won’t eat it in anything, I HATE it.

So the task at hand became to make a monster cookie without the peanut butter. The first batch I made tasted fantastic, but crumbled into pieces from the lack of peanut butter holding it together. My second attempt was a winner. I subbed in applesauce for the peanut butter and added a little flour. The cookie still had the same look and texture, but without the peanut butter. They were so awesome I probably could have easily eaten half a dozen myself.

Monster Cookies (without the peanut butter) (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

2 eggs
1 egg white
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. light corn syrup
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
¾ c. butter (1 ½ sticks), melted
1 c. applesauce
4 ½ c. rolled oats
1 c. flour
½ c. chocolate chips
½ c. butterscotch chips
½ c. white chocolate chips
½ c. M & M’s
1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and egg white. Stir in the sugars, vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the melted butter and applesauce. Stir until well combined.

3. Slowly add in the oats and flour. Mix in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, and M & M’s. Set aside for 10 minutes.

4. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon onto the parchment lined baking sheets, pressing to flatten the dough. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are starting to brown. Let cool for two minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Note-To make the more traditional monster cookies omit the applesauce, add 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, and cut the flour in half. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

This post linked to:

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays

12 Days of Christmas Cookies

What's cooking Wednesdays

What's On Your Plate?

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies-Day 7 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 7 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars is a variation of the chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter.  While I never tasted it, I was assured by several people that it was delicious.
 
Our friend’s birthday was on Thursday and he has a major sweet tooth. He loves many of my desserts so I wanted to make him something special for his birthday. I had found a recipe for malted chocolate chips cookies that I couldn’t wait to make for him. I mixed up the batter and baked them. They came out as puffy, doughy balls. They were NOT very good.


So I went back to my recipe box to look for another cookie I could make. My husband told me that with our friend simpler is better. I took that to heart and decided to make a chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter. I hate peanut butter so it’s difficult for me to bake with it because I can’t taste the finished product. I have to rely on my husbands taste buds to taste any peanut butter dessert.

I went with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and added peanut butter to it. The resulting cookies looked soft and chewy when I broke them apart. I had to wait a few hours for my husband to get home to taste it and give me his official vote on the cookie. His exact words were “Now THAT’s a cookie!” I’ll take that as a big yes on this cookie!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ c. butter, softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (I used Jif)
½ c. brown sugar
½ c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars together until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mix well.

3. In a medium bowl stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.

4. Add the chocolate chips and stir.

5. Drop round teaspoons on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes for soft, chewy cookies. Bake 13-15 minutes for crisp, golden brown cookies.

6. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

This post linked to:

Meatless Mondays

Tuesdays at the Table

Real Food Wednesdays

Butterscotch Bars-Day 6 of 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 6 of 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars is another fabulous bar cookie. This one will make all of your friends and family drool. It’s an oatmeal cookie sandwiched with creamy butterscotch.


I first made these terrific bundles of butterscotch goodness last Christmas and they were well received. Then again who wouldn’t like a layer of butterscotch sandwiched between two oatmeal sugar cookies?! I found the recipe in Cooking Light, so not only are these bars easy and delicious, they are healthier then many other cookies I make at the holidays!

The crust is made from an oatmeal sugar cookie then is layered with creamy butterscotch. It’s finished off with a sprinkling of the same oatmeal sugar cookie. The end result is creamy butterscotch in between two crispy cookies. It’s a quick, easy bar cookie that can be make a few days in advance or right when company is coming. It’s a great looking cookie that looks like it took a lot of time and effort to make.


Butterscotch Bars (adapted from Cooking Light )

½ c. sugar
½ c. packed brown sugar
4 T. butter
3 T. applesauce
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 ½ c. oats
½ t. salt
1 t. baking soda
¾ c. sweetened condensed milk
1 c. butterscotch chips


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream the butter, applesauce, and sugars. Beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla and stir well.

3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir with a fork until it is crumbly.

4. Put 3 cups of the oat mixture on the bottom of the pan pressing into the bottom.

5. In a microwave safe bowl heat the sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch chips. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Continue heating at 30 second intervals until the mixture is completely melted and mixed well. Pour the butterscotch mixture over top of the oat crust and spread. Sprinkle the top with the remaining oat mixture.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until butterscotch is bubbling and the topping in a light brown. Put the entire baking pan on a wire rack to cool. Cut into 36 bars.

**I did not have enough of the topping left over which is why it is splotchy in the photo.  Make sure you save enough to sprinkle evenly over the top.  I didn't get to take a picture of the cut bars because they were gone before I thought about it!**
This post is linked to:
Not Baaad Sundays
Mommy's Kitchen

Book Review: Handle With Care

I recently finished reading Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. If you’ve ever read any of her books you know that she writes about controversial issues that are relevant in today’s society. This book is no different.


This book is about a family with two daughters. The younger daughter, Willow, is born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or what is more commonly known as brittle bone syndrome. Willow is constantly breaking bones and after a particularly bad break when the family goes to Disney World, her mother (Charlotte) decides to sue for wrongful birth.

As horrible as this sounds, it gets even worse. Willow’s father, Sean, disagrees with the lawsuit and moves out of the house. The OB that Charlotte is suing is also her best friend. Finally, Charlotte’s older daughter, Amelia, has hidden problems of her own. Ironically, the deeper Charlotte gets into the lawsuit, the more broken her family becomes.

There are many subplots in this Picoult novel. I was never sure what might happen next. I was also not sure whose side I was on. Both sides make great points in this controversial novel. On one hand Charlotte is doing what she thinks is best for Willow by trying to get money for her lifetime care. On the other hand Sean doesn’t want Willow to feel as though she is a child that never should have been born. She is a much loved child with plenty of potential.

The end of the novel comes with the verdict of the trial. After the trial there is one last twist to the story, as is so typical of most of Jodi Picoult’s books. I was able to predict the ending of the book, but I still thought it was a worthwhile book to read. It kept my interest and I learned a lot about OI in the process.

While this is not my favorite of Jodi Picoult’s books, it was entertaining. I would recommend this book as a book club book or for someone who is looking for a “hot topic” book choice.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies-Day 5 of 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 5 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and bars is one of my all time favorites. I usually make it as a bar, but it’s even better as a cookie.

I found a great recipe for chocolate chip pretzel bar cookies. I’ve made it several times and while I always enjoy it, the pretzels seem to get soft and I feel as though it’s not as good as it could be. I decided to turn these bar cookies into regular cookies in hopes that the shorter cooking time would leave some crunch in the cookies. Good news, it worked!

These cookies are a great twist on a traditional chocolate chip cookie. The addition of the crushed pretzels makes the cookie sweet and salty, one of my favorite combinations! Then drizzling chocolate over top of the cooled cookies gives it one more notch up on chocolate chip cookies. The cookies are soft but still have a crunch to them. They are one of my absolute favorite cookies to eat and to make for friends and family.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker  )

2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ c. butter (1 stick), softened
¼ c. applesauce
¾ c. brown sugar
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

1 t. vanilla

12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
1 c. pretzels, chopped
¼ c. chocolate chips for drizzling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream the butter, applesauce, and sugars until well combined. Beat in the egg and egg white. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped pretzels.

5. Drop by heaping teaspoon onto a cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

7. Put the ¼ c. chocolate chips into a baggie and microwave for 30 seconds. Squeeze bag and continue heating at 30 second intervals until chips are melted. Seal the bag, snip of the end, and drizzle over cookies.

*Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This post is linked to:

What's on Your Plate Wednesdays

Real Food Wednesdays

What's Cooking Wednesdays

Cooking Thursday

Recipe Swap Thursday

Holiday Bloggy Christmas

Peppermint Bark Cookies-Day 4 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 4 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars is the ultimate Christmas cookie.  It's a sugar cookie with white chocolate, milk chocolate, and crushed peppermint.  Nothing says Christmas like peppermint, chocolate and cookies.

When I first saw this cookie I knew I had to make it.  It combined two of my favorites-sugar cookies and peppermint bark.  This recipe seemed fairly simple and looked delicious.  I tried it out and found it to be very tasty!  A crisp, buttery sugar cookie underneath a chocolate candy coating, topped with crushed peppermint and drizzled in white chocolate.  Very simple to make and perfect for Christmas!

Peppermint Bark Cookies (adapted from Cookin Canuck )

2 c. flour
½ t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg white

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

½ c. crushed candy canes

½ c. white chocolate chips

1 t. peppermint extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl stir together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla. Slowly stir in the egg and egg white until well mixed.

3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring constantly.

4. Put the cookie dough in between two pieces of waxed paper and roll out to a 14 x 10 inch rectangle. Peel off the top layer of waxed paper. Flip over top (cookie side down) of your cookie sheet with the parchment paper and peel off the top layer of waxed paper. Press into the pan. Prick the bottom with a fork.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are browned. Pull out of the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return to the oven for 1 minute.

6. Pull out of oven and place cookie sheet on a wire cooling rack. Using a wooden spoon spread the melting chocolate into a thin layer over the sugar cookie layer. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top of the chocolate. Let cool for 5 minutes.

7. Place the white chocolate chips in a zip top bag and place in the microwave for 1 minute. Mix in the bag. Heat in additional increments of 15 seconds until it’s totally melted. Pour in the peppermint extract and squeeze bag to mix. Seal the bag, cut off the tip, and drizzle over the top of the cookies.

8. Let cool for 30 minutes and remove the cookies from the pan using the parchment paper, onto a cutting board. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

**I left a quarter of the pan without peppermint candy because my husband isn't a huge peppermint fan-still delicious!**

This post linked to:

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays

Tuesdays at the Table

12 Weeks of Christmas

What's Cooking in the Kitchen

Holly Bloggy Christmas

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars-Day 3 of 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars

Day 3 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars is not something that I would think of as a Christmas cookie, but they are really delicious. The combination of pumpkin bars and snickerdoodle cookies makes for a great Christmas bar.


My husband and I were looking for something sweet to snack on this Sunday afternoon. I had half a can of pumpkin left over from some other recipes I’ve been trying recently so I looked through the massive collection of fall recipes I’ve accumulated lately. The one that caught my eye was for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars. My husband loves snickerdoodles and I’m a big fan of pumpkin so I thought this would be the perfect compromise.

These bars have a lot of ingredients, but they are very easy to make. They also make a large amount of HUGE bars. There are enough for you and your eleven closest friends with many leftover. This would be a great dessert to make for a party because it serves so many people.

The snickerdoodle layer went down fairly easily in the bottom of the pan. I was a little worried about pouring the pumpkin mix on top of it before baking but there was no problem with the two layers mixing. In fact, I found that once the bars started cooking the snickerdoodle layer climbed up the side of the pan and made a great bottom and side layer around the pumpkin.

When the bars came out of the oven I was a little afraid to cut them and get them out for fear of them breaking. There was no need to worry as every single bar came out easily and perfectly. I cut the pan of bars into 24 medium sized bars, but you can easily divide them into 32 smaller bars. Drizzle with the white chocolate and they are ready to serve.



Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars (adapted from Beantown Baker  )
Snickerdoodle Layer:
2 ¾ c. all purpose flour
1/2  t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 ½ c. brown sugar
½ c. butter at room temperature
½ c. applesauce
1 egg
1 egg white
1 t. vanilla

Pumpkin Layer:

1 c. flour

¾ c. sugar

5 T. butter at room temperature
1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 egg

1 egg white
1 ½ c. pumpkin

Topping:
3 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Drizzle:
½ c. white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the snickerdoodle layer. In another bowl beat together butter, applesauce, sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

3. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

4. In a medium bowl mix the butter and sugar for pumpkin layer. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour overtop of the snickerdoodle layer.

5. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and evenly sprinkle over the pumpkin layer.

6. Bake for 38-42 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Take out of the oven and cool the entire pan on wire racks.

7. Once the bars are cool melt the white chocolate chips. Put in a zip top bag and snip off the end. Drizzle the chocolate all over the bars.

8. Cut into 24 or 32 bars and remove from pan.

This post is linked to:

Not Baaad Sundays

Mommy's Kitchen

Meatless Mondays

Easy S'More Bars-Day 2 of the 10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars!

Day 2 of the 10 days of Christmas Cookies takes me to Charlotte, North Carolina where my great Aunt Esther lives. My great aunt used to make this awesome cookie type dessert called a fancy graham. I really loved the rich caramel flavor they had, even though I used to pick the nuts off the top. I was craving that sweet graham cracker cookie but didn’t want to put the nuts on top since I wouldn’t eat them. After thinking of toppings I immediately came to s’mores.


I figured that instead of putting chopped nuts on top I could just substitute in mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. I had to call my mom to get my aunt’s original recipe. Once I had it, it was a snap to make these treats.

They came out just like I remembered. I was a little worried when the graham crackers were soft coming out of the oven but they crisped up as they cooled. I had a little trouble getting all the chocolate chips and marshmallows on top before the caramel cooled but popping them back in the oven for 15 seconds did the trick.

The s’mores bars were crisp, buttery, and full of flavor. For a cookie that requires almost no baking they are really delicious. It put me in the mind set of a fancier s’more that could be served in the house instead of around a campfire. I can’t wait for my great Aunt Esther to try this twist on her cookie at Christmas!

Easy S’more Bars (adapted from my great-Aunt Esther’s Fancy Graham recipe.)

24 sheets of graham crackers (plain or honey flavored)
¾ c. butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. marshmallows
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or non stick foil. (This step is important otherwise you will never get the grahams off the cookie sheet!)

2. Place 12 sheets of graham crackers on each cookie sheet. Make sure they are touching each other but not the edge of the pan.

3. In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has just melted pour in the brown sugar and stir well. Cook until the mixture just starts to boil. Continue cooking one minute.

4. Immediately pour the mixture over top of the graham crackers, using a wooden spoon to evenly spread the caramel mixture. Pop into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The graham crackers should be bubbling when you pull them out.

5. Immediately sprinkle the grahams with the chocolate chips and marshmallows making sure they begin to melt and stick. If the caramel starts cooling and the chocolate and marshmallows don’t stick, pop the cookie sheet back into the oven for 15 seconds.

6. Let cool completely and break the graham crackers sheets into four pieces.

Makes 96 S’more bars.

This post linked to:
Friday Potluck
Recipes of a Cheapskate

Peanut Butter Blossoms-10 Days of Christmas Cookies and Bars!

Nothing says Christmas like homemade cookies and sweets. In the spirit of the holidays I’ve decided to do 10 Days of Christmas cookies and bars. My next 10 blog posts will be all about my favorite cookies and bars that are easy to make but great for large crowds at the holidays. Many of these cookies are great for cookie exchanges as well.


For day one I decided I’d use one of my most popular recipes and one that many people make each year. It’s funny because I don’t eat peanut butter, so I’ve never even tried this cookie though I’ve been assured and reassured that it’s delicious. It’s the classic Peanut Butter Blossom. It starts with basic dough then adds in creamy peanut butter and is topped with a Hershey’s kiss. What’s not to like? This recipe is easy, the cookies bake up quickly, and it’s a great recipe to double for holiday baking.



Peanut Butter Blossoms (adapted from Betty Crocker  )

¾ c. sugar
¾ c. packed brown sugar
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. applesauce
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 egg white
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
¼ c. sugar
About 50 Hershey’s Meltaway Kisses (or regular kisses)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, and the applesauce. Add in the sugars and mix well. Beat in the egg and egg white until well combined.

3. In a small bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, stirring until it’s mixed well.

4. Pour the extra sugar into a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in the sugar, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges and bottom begins to brown. Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately push a Hershey’s kiss into the center of the cookie. Remove cookies and set on a wire rack to cool.

*Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This post is linked to:
What's Cooking Wednesday?
What's on Your Plate Wednesdays?
Real Food Wednesdays
Cooking Thursday
Recipe Swap Thursday

General Tso's Chicken

     My husband and I love Chinese food, especially General Tso’s chicken and tofu. We have tried on numerous occasions to make this dish using store bought sauces, mixes, and powders, but it has never tasted even close to the real thing. So when I saw a recipe for General Tso’s on Joelen’s blog and read many of the rave reviews I was incredibly anxious to try it.

     I bought the ingredients and whisked everything together for the marinade. I had a little taste and much to my surprise, it tasted good! I marinated the chicken for an hour and then got started on the chicken. I added some broccoli to the chicken and ground ginger to the coating.

     As I brought the sauce to a boil it smelled amazing. I poured the sauce over the chicken and served it all over rice. My husband and I were excited to try it. It was really good! It tasted very similar to the General Tso’s that is served in Chinese restaurants. This is definitely the closest I’ve ever gotten to the real thing. We can’t wait to try it over tofu next time.

General Tso’s Chicken (adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures )

Marinade and Sauce:

½ c. hoison sauce
¼ c. white vinegar
3 T. soy sauce
3 T sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. ground ginger
1 ¼ c. water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 T. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. grated fresh ginger
½ t. red pepper flakes
1 c. fresh broccoli florets

Coating and Frying:

2 large egg whites
¾ c. cornstarch
¾ c. flour

1 t. ground ginger

½ t. baking soda

4-5 T. olive oil

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. Put in a gallon sized zip top bag and place in the refrigerator.

2. In a medium bowl whisk the hoison sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, ground ginger, and water. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and pour 6 T. of the marinade over the chicken in the bag. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cover the remaining marinade in the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

3. In a medium sauce pan heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, fresh ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant. Add all the remaining marinade/sauce (reserved 2 T.) that was chilling in the refrigerator. Whisk occasionally, until mixture in dark brown and thickened. Remove from heat and cover with a lid.

4. Get out 2 prep bowls. In one bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy, set aside. In the second bowl mix flour, cornstarch, ground ginger, baking soda, and reserved marinade/sauce. Mix well.

5. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and marinade. Pat the marinated chicken with a paper towel. Toss half the chicken into the foamy egg white and then dredged in the cornstarch mixture. Put on a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

6. In a large skillet heat 3 T. of olive oil. Add the chicken and sauté 3-4 minutes on one side. Add the remaining oil then sauté 3-4 minutes on the other side. Add in the broccoli and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, warm the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and serve over rice.

This post is linked to:

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesdays

Tuesday's at the Table

The Winner Is.....

     Thank you to all who entered the Sabra Hummus giveaway this past week!  I used random.org to draw a number and the winner is:

 Karen from Lovestoeat! 

You can find her fabulous blog at http://www.lovestoeat.wordpress.com/ .  Congratulations!  I'll be sending you an e-mail later today so that I can get your address to ship out your prize!  Thank you to Houseparty and Sabra for providing me with this fabulous prize package!

Breakfast Crostata

     This is my first month joining in on the Daring Bakers' challenge and I was so excited to finally become a part of this group!  The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

     I have never made a crostata and I didn't even own a tart pan.  I figured this was the perfect opportunity to splurge and buy myself one.  I looked for tart pans at four different stores before I finally found one at the local kitchen store.  I was very excited to start on this challenge.

     I am usually one for making sweets but I had just made a pan of brownies the day before so I decided to go for a savory crostata.  My husband loves breakfast foods but since I'm not a big breakfast eater I rarely make breakfast for him.  This was the perfect opportunity to make him a breakfast treat, even if I had an alterior motive. 

     When I think of breakfast I think of eggs and bacon.  I wanted to make the crostata a bit more gourmet so I finally decided on a filling of pancetta, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, thyme, and a savory egg custard.  The result was amazing!  The filling was the perfect balance of creamy egg custard and salty pancetta with the mushrooms blending everything together.  The crust was flaky and brown.  My husband loved it and was thrilled I had made him breakfast.  I enjoyed it so much I may make breakfast again next weekend!

Breakfast Crostata with Pancetta, Mushrooms, and Egg Custard
 (Crostata crust recipe inspired by those in the book La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiare bene by Pellegrino Artusi (1820-1911) translated into English as Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well)

Pasta Frolla (crust):
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 stick butter, chilled, cut into pieces
Grated zest of half a lemon
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 t. thyme

1. In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, and thyme.


2. Rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. (I used my fingers to do this)

3. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture. Pour the beaten eggs into the well. Add the lemon zest and thyme.
4. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, then use your fingertips. Knead lightly until the dough just forms a ball. Shape into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.


Filling:
4 oz. chopped pancetta
4 oz. thinly sliced mushrooms
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. low fat milk
1/4 t. thyme
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 t. salt

1.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.  If the dough is firm, start by pressing the dough with the rolling pin from the middle to each end.  If it is too crumbly, add a few drops of water.

2.  Once the dough is 1/8 inch thick, flip dough over the tart pan, centering it.  Delicately press it all around so the corners are well covered.  Prick the bottom of the dough with the fork in several places.  Set aside.

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4.  In a small skillet heat the pancetta over medium high heat.  Stir for 4-5minutes or until crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Add the mushrooms to the same pan that you cooked the pancetta in.  Cook for 6-7 minutes or until browned.  Remove from skillet.

5.  In a small saucepan heat the milk and 1/4 t. thyme.  Bring to a simmer, but not a boil.  Meanwhile, beat the egg and egg yolk in a bowl.  Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs, stirring contantly.

6.  Layer the pancetta and mushrooms on top of the dough in the tart pan.  Top with the cheddar cheese.  Slowly pour the egg mixture over top of the other ingredients.

7.  Put in the oven and cook 30-35 minutes, checking to see that the eggs are set and the crust is brown.  (This took 32 minutes in my oven.)  Slowly remove from the oven and release the tart base from the fluted tart ring.  Let sit 5 minutes to cool.  Cut and enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Not Baaad Sundays
Mommy's Kitchen

Cranberry Apple Mini Pies-What's Baking?

The November challenge for What’s Baking? was to make a dish that reminded us of Thanksgiving. At first all I could think of was pumpkin. I’ve made several pumpkin dishes in the past two months, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to use one as part of this challenge. I began thinking of other foods that reminded me of Thanksgiving and finally came up with cranberries.

I don’t really like cranberries by themselves so I tried thinking of a complimentary fruit and immediately thought of apples. I wanted to make some sort of pie or tart. After sleeping on it I came up with the idea of making mini pies. My thought was that after a huge Thanksgiving dinner everyone always wants a little dessert but ends up eating way to much. With mini pies, the portions are already controlled. They are big enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, but not too much.

I didn’t have any mini pans so I wanted to try making them in my muffin tin. I wasn’t sure how it would work out, so I just went with it. I made the pie crust, baked it, and then pulled it out of the oven. I filled it with the cranberries and apples and put it back in to bake.

It had an amazingly sweet and spicy scent when it came out of the oven. The pies easily popped out of the muffin tins and held their shape. They were sweet and tart, with a hint of cinnamon. They were fantastic! This is probably the best dessert I’ve made this month. I will be making this for our Thanksgiving dinner.



Cranberry Apple Mini Pies (Crust recipe adapted from All Recipes . The pie filling is my own creation.)

For the crust:

1 ½ c. flour
1/3 c. vegetable oil
¼ c. low fat milk
2 T. sugar
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
For the filling:

¾ c. fresh cranberries
½ c. water
½ c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. flour
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½ inch pieces (I used Gala)
Juice of ½ lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the crust. Mix with a fork until combined. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch circles (using a cookie cutter or a knife). Put each circle into one of the muffin cups in your muffin tin.

3. Push into the bottom and the sides of the muffin tin. Trim any extra dough hanging over the edge or top. Poke two holes in the bottom of each pie crust with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat the cranberries, water, sugar, and cinnamon in a small pot of medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the flour.

5. Cut the apples into ½ inch slices. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.

6. Pull the mini pie crusts out of the oven. Put 2 or 3 cranberries in the bottom of each then fill almost to the top with apple slices. Pour the remaining cranberries with juice over top of each of the filled crusts to the top.

7. Put back into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes then remove the mini pies to a wire rack to cool completely.

***There are only 3 more days to enter the Sabra Hummus giveaway!  Remember to enter here by midnight on November 26th for your chance to win an awesome Sabra prize pack!***

This post is linked to:

Crazy for Crust Pie Party,